Is Your Young Elite Athlete Working With Wrong Coach?

Several weeks ago, I got a call from a tennis player who is ranked in thetop 150 in the world. This young man has been struggling badly onthe tennis court for almost two years.

He is losing to players he should beat and he is finding it difficult to close outmatches. He and his mother contacted me to see if I could help him to performto his fullest potential.

The young athlete is quite upset about his poor showings in tournaments.His mother is worried and they seem to be at wit’s end as to what they need to do or change to elevate this young man’s tennis game.

He sounds like he loves the sport, enjoys competing and he appears tohave some of the right physical qualities to do well at this sport. He is six feetthree inches tall, weighs one hundred and eighty five pounds and can serve overone hundred and thirty miles per hour. He works hard at practicing and atphysical training, but his ranking is slipping and he is now lacking confidence whenhe steps on the court to compete. In addition, he is easily frustrated and loses his focus and concentration once he gets behind in his match.

It appears that this young tennis players needs some work on the mental aspectsof his game. I recommended he listen to my Stay In The Zone program. http://www.stayinthezone.com/get_stay.htm

However, in talking to serious athletes, I always try to assess the qualityof the relationship between the athlete, the parents, the coach and, in some instances,the athlete’s agent. I had a suspicion that there was a problem with his coach thatwas contributing to his poor performances.

Frequently, when counseling elite young athletes, I discover that themembers of his or her team are in conflict and not on the same page.

In the case of this tennis player, he told me that his coach does not communicatevery well with him. A lack of communication between an athlete and his or her coach, is a prescription for failure.

Interestingly, when I raised the idea of switching coaches, my patient toldme that he and him mother had been thinking about if for quite some time.

Similarly, several months ago, I counseled a young softball player. I suggested tohim and to his parents that their daughter needed a new coach. I triedunsuccessfully to improve the coach’s performance with their daughter.

After a while, I suggested a new coach. The parents refused and the coachbecame quite angry with me. I finally had to tell the youngster andtheir parents that I could not help her any longer and that her career would notmove ahead as long as she worked with her present coach. The parents did notlisten to me and the young softball players failed to get the college scholarship she was working towards.

I believe she would have achieved this goal had she worked with a coachwith a different mentality and a different orientation.

I am not intending to place the blame for bad sports performances on the coaches. However, it is essential that the relationship between the athlete and his or her coach beoutstanding. If you are going for the gold, you need a golden relationship with yourcoach.

All too often, I counsel athletes who are connected to a coach in what amounts toan unhealthy or dysfunctional relationship. And unfortunately, many athletesand their moms and dads languish in these self-defeating relationships for too long.

Sometimes, they and their parents “get hooked on” and “addicted to” thewrong coach for the wrong reasons. Consequently, their performance suffers, their career suffers and their enjoyment of their sport deteriorates.

I frequently encourage athlete to interview new coaches. I remind them noteacher knows everything and that changing coaches or teaches can be very usefuland valuable at times.

Many years ago, I wrote an article about the value in changing therapists.Like coaches, we all only have a certain amount of things that we can teach andhelp people with. Using a team of advisors and consultants is good advice for topathletes and for people who want to be top achievers. Top players change coachesall the time.

Furthermore, flexibility and openness tend to be good mind sets for all peoplewho are trying to better their performance and better their lives.

Over the years, I have frequently reminded patients of these two thoughts.1. “You can either bend or break.”2. “Your mind is like a parachute. It works best when it is open.”

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is the Founder of www.stayinthezone.comHe can be reached at 888 580-ZONE. Or at info@stayinthezone.com

About Dr. Granat

Since 1978, Dr. Granat has counseled thousands of highly competitive athletes from many different sports. His clients have included golfers, tennis players, bowlers, runners, boxers, baseball players, basketball players, pool players, hockey players, ice skaters, wrestlers, fencers and martial artists. (Satisfied Clients) on this site. Now athletes who are struggling with choking, nervousness, lack of confidence, negative thoughts, self-doubt, lack of energy or concentration problems can get the help they need to excel in their respective sport by phone.

Talk to Dr. Granat

You can reach out to Dr. Granat with any questions anytime. Call him at 888-580-ZONE or email him. When you get this program or any of his programs, you also get another coach or consultant who wants to help you and your child.

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